Economic integration and natural forest management: the case study of East-West economic corridor establishment in Vietnam and Laos

Abstract

East—West economic Corridor (EWEC) is an economic development program initiated at the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) in Manila, the Philippines to promote development and integration of four Southeast Asia Countries, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Despite its significant contribution to socio-economic development of the GMS since 2006, EWEC has caused negative impacts on natural resources, particularly forest coverage. This paper analyses the role of EWEC in production and transportion, especially agricultural output to domestic and nternational markets, and the sharp decline in forest area along the Corridor